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Bear Ham

In case anybody is interested.....

I decided to try having some ham made from my spring bear. I just got it back from Willamina Meat and it turned out great! They are a local company that has made us ham and bacon from 4H pigs over the years and since the kids have outgrown 4H I have been craving some of their old fashioned ham.

This is my first experience with bear ham and I am really pleased with the outcome. Flavor is superb! Being as it was an old boar it isn't as tender as a young hog but I will slow cook the big hams with apple cider in the crock pot. Mmmmm!

Several years ago my hunting buddy in California gave me 2 front shoulder from a big boar he killed in the Sierras. I stripped it and made jerky out of it and it was really great. The meat was stringy and lean, just right for jerky.

Colorado Cowboy
Cowboy Action Shooter; Endowment Life Member-NRA
The Original Rocket Scientist-Retired
"My Father always considered a walk in the mountains as the equivalent of church going."
Aldous Huxley

I've had bear steaks from several different bears and they were wonderful. Tender, great flavor, and juicy. A buddy also smoked about a 20 pound roast in a smoker for several hours at low temperature and we had it after work one evening. It was incredible! You could not eat enough of it. Bear meat or at least what I've had has been excellent!
David

Wish I had known about that.It looks super. I did get my processed hind quarters back from local meat processor ($37) and it is very good. Its lean but I dont find it stringy. Back strap and one front quarter, I left in the freezer in Co. How would you process a fall bear? They should have a lot of fat by sept. I have a license for Ar and Co.

That looks really good and just adds a little more pain for not filling my trag in the Snake this year...I have only used Frontier out of Yamhill but if I manage to punch my fall bear tag I will take to Willamina for some ham. Thanks for giving the place you had it done!

That looks really good and just adds a little more pain for not filling my trag in the Snake this year...I have only used Frontier out of Yamhill but if I manage to punch my fall bear tag I will take to Willamina for some ham. Thanks for giving the place you had it done!

I have used Frontier a lot for beer dogs and summer sausage with great results but they don't smoke hams. I asked them about it last year.